The Great Park Board approved the Comprehensive Park Design presented by Master Designer Ken Smith and the Great Park Design Studio. The approval of the Comprehensive Park Design moves the Great Park from the planning and design phase to the production phase. The next Board meeting, in which further discussion and planning is expected, will be 10 a.m. March 19 at City Hall. CEO Mike Ellzey also provided an update and conceptual phasing plan to the Board that gives them a look at potential early phases of development. Previous Board discussions have focused on the Sports Park as an early major element of Park development.

"The Comprehensive Park Design is an important milestone," said Larry Agran, Chair, Orange County Great Park Board Corporation. "It reflects nearly three years of hard and productive work on the part of Master Designer Ken Smith and his talented team. Our philosophy has always been plan first - then build. The completion of this comprehensive design will enable us to begin production of major elements of the Park."

Design and engineering of Park's elements and infrastructure are contained in the Comprehensive Park Design. Design elements include the Sports Park, Wildlife Corridor, Agua Chinon, upper and lower canyon, the Lake, the Bosque, agriculture elements, and many other features identified by a variety of stakeholders throughout the planning and design process. The Comprehensive Park Design features sustainable infrastructure, including renewable energy generation, non-polluting Park shuttles, connections to mass transit, water reclamation and natural water treatment systems and recycling of runways to build a variety of Park features.

"I have said many times that one does not build a park, one grows a park," said Ken Smith, Master Designer of the Orange County Great Park. "The Comprehensive Park Design allows us to begin growing elements of the Park right now and create additional elements in the future with full confidence that everything will fit together and create a wonderful experience for Park visitors."